Dora Cervantes became the IAM’s 12th General Secretary-Treasurer on August 1, 2015. She is the first woman to direct the IAM’s finances as General Secretary-Treasurer.
Cervantes initiated into IAM Local Lodge 2198 in Houston, Texas, in 1989 as a Reservations Agent for Southwest Airlines. She served in many capacities for her Local Lodge, including Organizer, Shop Steward, Recording Secretary, and Vice President.
In 1999, Cervantes was chosen to serve as an Organizer for Airline District Lodge 142 and became a General Chairperson for that District the following year. By appointment from International President Tom Buffenbarger, she served on the IAM’s 2002 Blue Ribbon Commission.
In 2005, Cervantes was appointed to the Grand Lodge staff in the Transportation Department as a Special Representative and later promoted to a Grand Lodge Representative. It was in July of 2012 when Cervantes was selected by General Secretary-Treasurer Robert Roach, Jr. to serve as Assistant Secretary to the GST.
Cervantes first joined the IAM Executive Council on July 1, 2013, as the first Latina woman to serve as a General Vice President. As General Vice President, Cervantes worked in partnership with the General Secretary-Treasurer to administer the IAM’s financial operations.
Cervantes is actively involved in various community issues that are important to the working class. Currently, she serves as a National Board Member on the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), is an active member of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), and a member of United Against Human Trafficking. She also serves as a Trustee for the National IAM Benefit Trust Fund, IAM National Pension Fund, and the IAM National 401(k) Plan. In 2021, she was elected to serve as a Board Member of SUNY Empire State College Foundation.
Fluent in English and Spanish, Cervantes was part of the pilot program to bring forth Spanish Leadership Classes at the William W. Winpisinger Education Center. She uses her bilingual skills to teach and translate IAM documents. She also served as an Instructor and chaperone with the Aviation High School and IAMAW partnership.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Work and Labor Policy, and Women’s and Gender Studies from SUNY Empire State College and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Labor Studies from the National Labor College.
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